The women’s eyes followed Edmond, sparkling like shooting stars, while the men gazed at Lilien with slack jaws and dazed expressions.

My lips kept twitching involuntarily.

‘Why do I feel so proud when she’s not even my own child?’

I felt my shoulders rising up for no reason.

Lilien looked around, caught my eye, and waved with a bright smile.

‘Lady Etricia!’

When I furrowed my brow and shook my head, she quickly composed herself and put on a serious expression.

I covered my mouth and burst out laughing at her adorable attempt to look solemn. The unknown lady next to me side-eyed me like I was crazy, but I didn’t care.

The ceremony began in a reverent and solemn atmosphere. Prostrate at the Emperor’s feet as he conducted the ritual, he looked noble and sacred. I wasn’t the only one mesmerized by him. Everyone was gaping in awe.

At that moment, his lowered eyes rolled across the marble floor and fixed on me. I flinched, having been staring at him in a trance, but I was also glad and secretly waved. Though he quickly withdrew his gaze.

Right after that, the Emperor finished proclaiming the conferment of the duke title, and the banquet officially began.

As people dispersed, Lilien scampered over to me.

Lilien made a pitiful face while surrounded by Lady Wickley’s people. She seemed to want to come to me but was blocked by the crowd.

I had introduced her to others earlier and was now sipping fruit wine while sitting on a sofa in the corner. Unable to extract her from that crowd, I waved encouragingly to Lilien and then searched for Edmond.

He was leaning against the hall’s inner wall with his arms crossed. Seeming ominous, no one dared approach him, and only hapless young ladies hovered around.

He sighed deeply and gently rubbed his raised eyebrows with his hand. He looked bored and weary, as if wishing for this time to pass quickly.

Our eyes met as Edmond suddenly looked up. When I gently waved, he frowned sharply.

‘Why is he like that?’

Feeling a bit hurt, as if he was telling me not to act familiar, I furrowed my brow.

Perhaps seeing my furrowed brow, he detached himself from the wall with a displeased expression.

Edmond uncrossed his arms and approached, radiating a menacing aura. I flinched and gripped my wine glass tighter.

‘W-what’s this, is he angry just because I frowned a little?’

That’s when it happened. Before Edmond could get close, a man approached and spoke to me first. The man, apparently a lightweight, rambled on about nonsense with a flushed face.

Yes, yes, is that so? I see. Yes, it’s true I’m getting divorced. Yes, yes, do I like opera? Well, it’s okay. Answering the man’s questions perfunctorily, I searched for Edmond with my eyes.

They say the brave win the handsome man. In the moment I’d looked away, Edmond had been caught by an elegant young lady in the center of the hall.

Edmond responded impassively. The young ladies seemed to reach an agreement, whispering amongst themselves. To admire Edmond like a work of art they dared not touch.

‘Is there really a woman who can penetrate that iron fortress?’

If there is, I’d like to applaud her.

That’s when it happened. The man who had been lurking nearby, rambling like a drunkard talking to a telephone pole, suddenly grabbed my wrist.

I looked up at the man with sharp eyes at his sudden rudeness.

“What are you doing?”

“My lady, it hurts me when you ignore me so. I’m also divorced. Let’s not be like this and have a passionate conversation under the moonlight, us lonely people.”

Ah, I was so focused on Edmond that I hadn’t paid attention to this side.

‘These unreasonable types really are everywhere.’

The man looked me over intently with eyes brimming with lust. Goosebumps crawled over my entire body.

“Let go.”

“Come on, don’t be like that.”

I tried to twist my wrist free, but couldn’t overcome the physical difference.

I looked around, seeking help with my eyes, but we were in such a corner and the hall’s music was so loud that no one seemed to hear our argument.

“Wait—”

In that moment, the man gave a creepy smirk and pulled on my hand.

Though I kept resisting, by the time I came to my senses, I had already been dragged out of the banquet hall by the drunk man.

“Let go, won’t you?”

“Don’t be like that. You like it too, don’t you? You were lonely because your husband ignored you every night, right?”

The man turned to look at me with a sinister gleam in his eyes. The corridor was empty, and the murmuring sounds from the hall grew distant.

I swallowed hard. Just as fear was welling up that I might be dragged off and suffer who knows what—

Smack!

The hand of the man pulling me was grabbed.

“What the—”

The man scowled fiercely, unable to budge against the firm grip. He looked up to see who was stopping him.

“You—!”

I also froze as I followed the man’s gaze. Edmond was looking down at the man with an icy glare.

“I, uh…”

As the man stammered out an anguished excuse, Edmond jerked his head back.

The waiting knights bowed their heads and dragged the man away by both arms. It seemed Edmond had resolved it particularly gentlemanly, mindful of the nobles’ gazes.

Edmond watched the man being dragged away with disdain, then turned to me.

“Are you alright?”

“Thank you.”

I smiled faintly and lightly rubbed my wrist. In truth, my wrist that had been grabbed by the man was throbbing.

Edmond’s eyes fell on my wrist. He frowned.

“Has this happened before?”

“No, it’s the first time.”

I hurriedly hid my wrist behind my back and changed the subject. With divorce looming, I didn’t want to dwell on a man who’d acted boldly while drunk. And I didn’t want to see Edmond’s face gradually hardening.

“Come to think of it, our eyes met during the conferment ceremony, didn’t they? I was surprised. You looked very handsome, you know?”

Edmond joined the topic as if acknowledging my effort, his hands clasped behind his back.

“That’s enough. You don’t need to force yourself to compliment me.”

“Oh my, I’m serious. You were so handsome earlier I nearly stopped breathing.”

Edmond’s eyelids lifted slightly. His hesitant gaze fell on me.

“To the point of stopping breathing?”

I was a bit taken aback by his direct gaze. It felt like something different had settled in his eyes. Just then, a sneer escaped me at the figure visible over his shoulder.

It was none other than Devon, walking towards us from the end of the corridor, fuming and huffing angrily.

‘I thought it was about time, and here we meet like this.’

I turned to Edmond.

“You go in first, I have someone I need to meet.”

Edmond glanced at me sidelong, his back to Devon.

“I’ll go too.”

“No, please stay by Lilien’s side. Well then.”

I can’t make another scene, after all.

I put strength in my feet and strode down the corridor before Edmond could raise any more objections. When I glanced back and Edmond looked like a dot, I stopped.

“You’re late, Devon.”

Devon, who had been heading towards the banquet hall with angry steps, spotted me and narrowed his eyes.

“You…!”

“Were you waiting for me long?”

“You, why are you here! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?!”

“I told you to wait like a dog, and you really did? How naive.”

Devon’s eyes blazed. He looked like he might bite me with his fierce expression.

“Are you mocking me?! Do I really need to sell the mines and go into exile for you to come to your senses?!”

“Shut up, I’ll tell you something that will shock you unconscious, so follow me.”

I gracefully closed the distance and pulled on Devon’s arm.

“What are you doing!”

Devon roughly shook off my arm.

“Stop talking and follow me.”

I growled and grabbed his arm again, pulling him along.

Eventually, I shoved Devon, who had followed like an obedient dog, into the banquet hall. Everyone was too busy enjoying the party to pay us any attention.

I pointed somewhere to Devon.

“Look over there.”

“What am I supposed to be looking at!”

Devon followed my finger. He squinted and stared for a while, then turned to me with a disgusted look.

“What are you trying to do with me right now.”

“I’m letting you know that I hold your lifeline.”

“What?”

Devon scowled fiercely. He rolled his eyes and, seeming to sense something ominous, looked back to where I had pointed.

There, Lady Lilien was smiling brightly as she conversed with other young ladies.

“You still don’t get it? She’s one of the people you tried to seduce without knowing your place.”

Devon held his breath, then his mouth slowly fell open. His eyes shook wildly for a moment before he let out a choked breath.

“S-so what. Now that my affair has been exposed, it doesn’t matter if they’re noble or commoner.”

“Are you sure it doesn’t matter?”

“Yes, it doesn’t matter!”

“It would be a problem if it didn’t matter.”

I kindly grabbed Devon’s chin and turned it back.

“That young lady you recklessly insulted is Lady Lilien Mifidian of the Mifidian ducal family.”

Devon took a slow, deep breath, his eyes as wide as saucers. His face, pale with shock, was quite a sight to see.

I abruptly let go of Devon’s chin and took out a handkerchief to wipe my hands.

“Duke Mifidian is quite different from Baron Dien’s weak fists. Want to go compare?”